Because I Have Loved
by skymadeofamythyst
Summary: This isn't my best work, nor my most creative, but I needed to write it.


I used to believe in magic and miracles.  
I used to believe I was a princess and there was a beautiful boy wielding a sword and shield sent to rescue me. I was in love with the idea of him being so madly in love with me,  
that he d risk his life to save me. I ll admit it now, I was in love with him, as well I never expected it to end up like this.

His name was Link. He had hair the color of muddy sun and eyes the color of bright azure. His smile, his heart, his body, his entire being was perfect. I knew from the moment I saw him, he would be the one to save Hyrule. He would be the one to save me from this loneliness I was feeling everyday of my life. When I looked at him, I felt a happiness I had never felt before. I could feel it radiating out of every pore when I spent time with him. Granted, I spent a lot of time locked away in a castle or in an endless sleep or possessed by evil spirits but I loved every moment waiting to see his face. Just knowing that soon he would be there helped my spirits soar.

The time we spent together when he was not rescuing me was beauty within itself. We went for walks around Hyrule. He showed me the flowers and plants and how to shoot an arrow. I taught him about the spirits and legends of this beautiful land we both inhabited. We spent every moment we could together. Link and I would camp out under the stars together. He was never much of a talker, but when he did speak, the birds stopped their chirping, the insects stopped their clicking, and time stood still; everyone wanted to hear what he had to say.

When he told me he loved me, I thought I would faint! Hearing those words come out of his mouth in his sweet voice, seemed like a dream to me. We were inseparable. When he smiled at me, my heart turned to liquid. The people of Hyrule loved us together. They cherished our relationship. Link and I became the symbol of true love.

I lived for his embraces. His warm, strong body pressed tightly against mine, like he may never hug me again, his gentle arms wrapped around me. When he kissed me, everything seemed to move slow and fast at the same time. I felt like I needed to cling to him for dear life, or I would have floated away. He would kiss me on the forehead. He would cuddle me close and kiss me passionately and lovingly. His lips were always soft and warm. We didn't have sex. We made love. It was beautiful and passionate and perfect. Because we loved each other more than anything else in the world.

**...Ganondorf took every chance he could to kill my hero off. It took him many years, but he finally succeeded.**

I was captured once again by Ganondorf, but this time was different. There was a feeling that told me this was not like the usual game we played. Ganondorf usually just locked me away somewhere, but his time, he relentlessly tortured me. He cut my hair off. He told me Link was not coming to save me this time. He starved me. He cut my arms. He he did things to me that I don t feel comfortable talking about.

When Link finally arrived, he looked haggard and delirious, and for the first time in my knowing him, he looked weak. He looked like a boy, not a man. He looked defenseless. My heart started breaking when he looked at me shackled to a wall, dirty, starved, and depressed, and a tear rolled down his cheek. And again, I had a feeling this was _not _going to end normally.

Ganondorf's laugh echoed throughout the dungeon. He lunged at Link, sword going straight through his stomach. Link's scream is one sound I can't erase from my nightmares. His blood flooded the front of his green tunic, his eyes wide with pain, darting around the room, from me, to Ganondorf, to the sword piercing his abdomen. Before I could help myself, I was screaming at the top of my lungs for Ganondorf to leave Link alone. Ganondorf's head seemed to spin on a swivel and stare at me, eyes locking on mine. Instantly, fear overwhelmed me, but I knew I had to be strong.

Without breaking eye contact, he ripped the sword from Link's abdomen, causing another ear-splitting scream, and smiled at me. I felt sick to my stomach. This wasn t going to end well. Link was sent flying to the floor, unconscious, by a punch to the face.

Ganondorf seemed to travel the distance of the room with godly speed and soon his face was so close to mine, our noses were touching. I mustered up all the courage I could and spat in his face. This action caused him to smack me across the face, and the familiar taste of metal filled my mouth. He leaned in, breathing down my neck, sending chills down my spine, laying small kisses up to my jaw bone. He reached my ear and whispered I m going to kill him. Right now. In front of you. You re going to watch it all and

Before he could finish, blood hit me in the face. Ganondorf s body fell on top of me, sliding down to the floor. Standing there, was my hero, Link. Bloody and in pain, he gave me a loving smile. Link only had enough energy to free me from the wall before he collapsed. His breathing was shallow and blood was still steadily coming out of his wound. I flung myself to the floor where he lay, taking his body in my arms and holding him. I held his hand and rested his head on my lap. I brushed back his hair from his forehead, and began to cry.

I couldn t have been more useless in that moment. His eyes opened and he looked at me. He looked me straight in the eyes and said, "Zelda, I want you to know that I love you. I will aways love you. I've loved you from the moment I saw you," he gave a weak smile, tears filled his eyes, grip tightening on my hand, "and we don't have much time left together now. I couldn't have asked for a better lifetime with you. I couldn't have asked for a better woman to love. You are my everything. You always were. And you always will be." he closed his eyes. It was getting harder for him to breathe.

I leaned in and kissed him gently on the lips, not sure how much he could handle. He gave one last small smile, and then he was gone. It was like a candle had been blown out. His body grew heavy in my arms. The tears came harder now, as I realized what had just happened. He wasn't just a lover though! He was a friend and a life long companion. He was my hero! We were supposed to grow old together and have children. What am I supposed to do with my life now?

The things Link went through for me... He faced so many monsters and obstacles and so much evil. He could've been killed on so many accounts. He could ve froze to death in snow and drowned in the depths of Lake Hylia and perished in a canyon. He didn t eat or sleep or even stop to think about himself until I was safe.

My biggest regret? I didn't thank him. And I ll never be able to thank him now. I loved Link. I _love_ Link. I love him more than anything in the world. I haven't been the same since he died. I haven't been able to leave the castle. I haven't talked to anyone. I barely eat anymore. But this isn't the way Link would want me to live. He would want me to be happy, because that would make him happy.

Tomorrow, I'll start living again.  
I will live for Link because he can't.  
I will believe in magic and miracles again.  
That beautiful boy no longer needs a sword and a shield.  
He doesn't need to rescue me.  
I will live for him until I die  
because I have loved.


End file.
